CLASSROOM OF THE ELITE X QUINTS: Complicated Feelings

Kushida's resolve and Horikita's dilemma pt 2

The new morning arrived.

Students started arriving in their respective classrooms before the bell. Under normal circumstances, they would avoid being late to not receive an early scolding and the word tardiness written in their report card. But the case was different in Advanced Nurturing High School as demerits; being late, would deduct their hard-earned class points which served as the basis for their class standing. The class overall class points were also converted into private points and had a significant role in surviving three-years of living in this school.

Although the brown-haired only cared for the latter, he was slightly concerned about the empty seat beside him.

Five more minutes from now and homeroom class would start and yet, there's no trace of Horikita. As far as he knew her, she wouldn't take an absence over irrelevant matters and he never once saw her attending the class disheveled due in a hurry. Horikita's always looking fresh, one of the students who's the first to arrive and fully prepared for the day's lessons.

He picked-up his phone, planning to message her then suddenly remember that they never shared their contacts. He released a dry laugh being reminded of his unpopularity, although, ironically, he's one of the infamous students in the campus.

Ayanokouji turned his head towards the brown-haired girl and their gazes met. Kushida also shared the same concern as him, she had her phone on her ear, probably trying to get in touch with her, while staring at her empty seat.

She noticed his gaze and smiled. Ayanokouji wasn't surprised and only thought of it as a friendly/mild gesture considering her ominous proclamation last evening. However, two certain students were burning with jealousy, they were cursing him in their minds for getting the attention of their angel, as well as treating her warm smile as nothing to him.

Ayanokouji moved his gaze to Horikita's seat and went back to Kushida, asking if she had any idea about it. She responded by shaking her head left to right, meaning she didn't know.

The front door of the classroom slid open, a voluptuous woman passed through. Chabashira waltzed towards the teacher's podium and put down the books she carried. Her stern gaze surveyed the room - starting from her left then slowly moving towards the right - she momentarily stopped at the empty seat, and her attention returned to the front.

"Let's start the morning roll call. Say present if your name is called." she announced.

Ayanokouji released a sigh. Horikita was now either officially late or absent, but if he were to guess, it's obviously the latter.

He doesn't know the actual reason why Manabu was about to strike her. However, that's proof enough of the siblings' strained relationship. The older brother nonchalantly said That's how us siblings greet each other. which gave Ayanokouji the assumption of the younger sister recalling past traumatic experiences. Coping mechanism differed from person to person, he doubted Horikita's the type who locked herself up in her room, but today said otherwise.

'What a shitty brother.' he thought, irritated.

•••

Chabashira's lesson ended and she exited the classroom. Kushida went straight towards Ayanokouji's seat to discuss Horikita's absence in the 15 minutes of free time before the start of the next class.

She leaned down her buttocks on the side of his table and glanced at the brown-haired over her shoulder.

"Do you have any idea why Horikita-san's absent, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked.

"I have none." he responded and turned his head towards the window. "She might wake up late and too embarrassed to attend the class to save her non-existing ego."